A Little Light Coercion
by BkWurm1
Summary: Vala's spring break plans at the cabin change when her friends connive behind her back with matchmaking in mind. Mix in too much mud, a shared shower, and a rather pleasant misunderstanding with Daniel and well, life won't be dull. Daniel/Vala
1. Chapter 1

**Title: A Little Light Coercion. **

**(Originally posted on LJ for the Daniel/Vala 5th Anniversary Contest - Took 2nd place!)**

**By: Bkwurm1 **

**Pairings: Daniel/Vala, some Cam/Lam, mention of Sam/Jack and Teal'c/Ishta **

**Rating: PG-13 to be safe **

**Summary:** _**Vala plans a much belated celebratory spring break/anniversary at the cabin with the team, only to find her friends conniving behind her back with matchmaking in mind. Toss in too much mud, a shared shower, and a rather pleasant misunderstanding and Vala won't ever forget the fifth anniversary of the day she and Daniel first met. **_

**Part 1**

Everyone was leaving her stranded and Vala could hardly muster up the energy to protest.

Taking General O'Neill up on his offer to use his cabin in Minnesota in the month of March might not have been her brightest idea, but then a girl might have assumed her closest friends would have given her the scoop about gloomy skies, cold driving rain, and mounds of dirty snow. Geography really wasn't her forte, climatology left her snoring and who could remember the longitude and latitude of fifty separate states anyway?

So in her ignorance, when Jack mentioned a holiday at the cabin, she'd jumped at the offer. The timing was impeccable. This little trip would commemorate her fifth anniversary with the SGC. Well, technically, five years since she attempted to liberate an SGC spaceship, but the encounter on the Prometheus led to the first team up between her and Daniel, so it counted even if their adventure ended with a breakdown in communication.

Now if one wanted to be exceedingly precise, the actual anniversary date fell closer to about a month after winter solstice, putting it near the end of January, which by her calculation only meant they needed to celebrate extra hard to make up for the delay.

She presented her getaway plan to the team and with a little persistence on her part, all of SG-1, minus Daniel, agreed to take a spring break away from their normal duties. Of course, she didn't take Daniel's no for an answer. Daniel needed to come along. After all, it was his anniversary as well and despite his initial refusal, she was certain she could wear him down before departure.

The man hadn't changed.

Five years ago when they bonded over Super Soldier Suits, hand held healing devices, some light combat, and strip searches he refused to take a step back and just enjoy himself. Now, half a decade later, he remained stubbornly determined not to bend, going off on his own, saying the cabin was going to be too crowded.

Right up until he left, Vala thought she'd be able to change his mind. After all, lately Daniel seemed to want her company. She worked closely with him as he cataloged artifacts and assisted him in creating all those little tutorials designed to initiate newbies into the Stargate program. (As dry and dull as the spots turned out, she could only shudder to imagine what would have been produced if no on had been there to try and reign in Daniel's speed talking and propensity toward information over load.)

She and Daniel didn't just spend an inordinate time together at work. They hung out with the team on the weekly movie nights and always drove together to the restaurant of choice for after mission dinners. She usually managed to persuade him at least two or three times a month that two friends and co-workers should explore whatever cultural offerings the Colorado Springs area had to offer and on top of that, he was the one to purchase season tickets to the Spring's Philharmonics just this last January.

Naturally, they had breakfast and dinner together since despite the apartment Daniel kept in town, he virtually lived on base. Lunch was something Daniel invariably forgot and Vala got in the habit of bringing a couple sandwiches by and prodding him to eat something. On the days she was too busy, he often came looking for her, so she'd been honestly surprised at his refusal to even consider going with the team to the cabin.

Apparently, despite their growing friendship, seven days in close quarters with her was too much. He left the base early Thursday and she tried not to be hurt when he slipped away without saying goodbye.

Still, Vala refused to ignore this milestone and instead of dwelling on her disappointment, she concentrated on her coming plans for Saturday. There were important decisions to be made, like choosing the best movies to bring along or deciding how many bikini's would be appropriate. It was demanding work, particularly the part where she pretended a bubbling enthusiasm she just didn't feel now that Daniel would not be going. The days passed so slowly that she actually worked ahead on the cataloging project just to fill her hours.

The Hammond was in orbit Friday night, bringing two bonuses: Sam's smiling presence and their ride from Colorado to Minnesota. Even General Landry and Dr. Lam agreed to pop in at the cabin for the afternoon since Sam, bless her practical little heart, said the beaming technology was due for a diagnostics run anyway, making their little excursion officially sanctioned travel. General O'Neill generously arranged to have the cabin stocked with supplies and fresh linens and even promised to have a driver bring a car in from town Saturday evening so they wouldn't be without transport during their stay.

At eleven thirty am, Saturday morning, Vala dragged her luggage down to the gateroom where they would be beamed out as a group. Well, she carried her make-up and hair kit while two helpful marines managed the other four suitcases. Teal'c was already waiting.

"Hello Muscles." Vala glanced around, but didn't see his luggage. "I know you're one for traveling light, but I'd say this is extreme even for you…unless you're planning to turn our retreat into some kind of nudist experiment." She shrugged and clapped her hands together. "Can't say it was my first thought, but if everyone is game, I'm not going to be a spoiledspot."

"Spoilsport," he corrected.

"Right, spoilsport. Is being a nudist really much of a sport?" She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Surprised Mitchell is up to the show and tell, if you ask me, for as many times as he has lost his pants, he has a bit of a prude thing going on."

Cam scowled as he descended the stairs from the control room. "Now why do you even have to go there?" He pointed at her stack of luggage. "Bags were to be left tagged in your quarters, Princess, all a part of testing the beaming system. Didn't you read the briefing?"

"Silly boy, why would I check the briefing on the first day of vacation?"

"Can't say I'm surprised." He chuckled, more amused than he should be, but the arrival of General Landry kept Vala from commenting on his odd behavior.

"I see you brought your belongings." The General noted dryly.

Mitchell smirked. "She didn't read the briefing." When his odd smugness prompted Landry to raise a bushy eyebrow, Cam tacked on a respectful, "Sir."

Landry made a dismissing gesture. "No matter." He called up to the control room. "Walter, let Col Carter know to include Ms. Mal Doran's bags in the gateroom beam out."

"_Have advised."_ His tinny voice confirmed just as Carolyn Lam joined them.

Landry shouted up to the control room. "Our party is all here."

"_On standby for departure_."

"Thank you Walter!" Vala called up. The airman came back on the speaker.

"_Have a good time. Beaming out in 5…4…3…2…"_

Light flashed and they found themselves on the bridge of Stargate Command's newest ship.

"Welcome to the Hammond." Sam greeted them, already dressed in civilian clothing.

"Sam!" Vala enthusiastically leaped forward to hug her friend. Sam laughingly returned her embrace.

Teal'c raised a brow. "Did you not just have dinner with Col Samantha Carter last evening?"

"Yes, but she is away so often that I don't get to give her enough welcome homes."

Mitchell blanched. "Dear lord, I know it shouldn't, but that actually made sense to me."

Vala flashed him a smile, hooked her elbow through Sam's, and whispered loudly, "Ask him about his plans to start his own nudist colony." Sam's eyebrows shot up. Landry frowned and intriguingly, Dr. Lam looked intrigued.

Cam started sputtering. "No, no, not me, that was Teal'c." Every face, including Teal'c's, adopted a skeptical expression. "No, I don't mean…there are no nudists." He scowled at Vala. "Stop that."

Landry chuckled, much to Cam's relief, and gestured at Sam. "You might want speed up the next beam out before we give your crew even more to talk about."

"Yes, Sir." Sam turned and nodded to her second in command. "You have the bridge. Beam us down."

Another flash of light and the group found themselves on the secluded private driveway in front of Jack's cabin in Minnesota. The road wasn't paved, just a mix of crushed rocks and dirt, or rather, a mix of crushed rocks and sticky yellow mud. Vala took a step forward and her three-inch snakeskin heel squished down through two inches of sludge.

Mitchell hefted one of her suitcases, groaning a little under the weight, and shook his head as he passed by. "If you had read the briefing, you might have known to wear your combat boots instead of the pointy girly things." He headed for the cabin.

Vala pulled her foot out of the clinging mud and looked around. "Wait, this can't be right." Ridges of gritty, dirt-encrusted snow lined the drive. The nearby woods looked like a horde of dry, brittle skeletons holding out their decaying arms and gnarled fingers. The grass before them was a sickly sea of grayish green. Behind the cabin, Vala could see dark shadows of ice still entombing the pond.

Teal'c responded to her as he effortlessly tucked two of her cases under one arm and lifted the remaining one with his other hand. "This is indeed General Jack O'Neill's cabin."

"But there is still snow on the ground!" Vala protested.

General Landry chuckled. "What did you expect mid March in northern Minnesota?"

"But it's spring!" Vala exclaimed as she balanced on one foot. "General O'Neill offered his cabin for a spring break. I wasn't expecting sandy beaches and coconut umbrella drinks, but spring means soft breezes, pale green buds on trees, thick verdant grasses and flowers beginning to bloom. Not pock marked snow banks, sticky mud and," Vala yelped as the dark sky opened up and a heavy soaking rain plummeted straight to the earth, "ice cold rain. This is worse than Cheyenne Mountain!" She abandoned efforts to keep her shoes out of the mud and dashed with the others underneath the protection of the front porch.

Sam placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "Astronomically speaking, the 20th was the vernal equinox and based on the angle of the sun, should technically be the middle of spring, but in the Northern Hemisphere daytime temperatures lag behind by several weeks because the earth and sea have thermal latency and take time to warm up."

"Translation, winter has hardly released its grip on the land." She blew a stringy wet stand of hair out of her eyes.

"Cheer up," Landry clapped Vala on the back as he went inside, "the forecast calls for this same heavy rain over the next few days. By the time it lets up, the rest of the snow should be gone." Vala's jaw dropped in dismay. Soggy ground, muddy roads, icy lakes and unrelenting rain?

Sam smiled and squeezed Vala's shoulder. "Come on inside. I'm beaming in barbeque from that rib place Mitchell likes so well." Vala nodded morosely and slipped off her mud dipped shoes. Sam directed the boys to put Vala's bags in the big room in the back with the queen size bed.

Vala roused herself out of her impending funk to protest. "Sam you should have the larger space. You've been stuck with cramped ship quarters for months; this is your vacation too."

Sam winced. "Yeah, well about that." She paused and bit her lower lip.

Vala put her hands on her hips. "Samantha," she said her friend's name suspiciously, "what aren't your telling me?"

Sam cringed, took Vala's elbow and urged her down the hall and into the bathroom. "I'll explain while we save your shoes."

Vala waited until Sam shut the door and then let the drama flow. "You're abandoning me, aren't you!"

"Abandoning is a little strong."

"What else would you call it? Give me one good reason why I should let you get away with this."

Sam grabbed a washcloth and gently worked to remove the mud on Vala's black and white patterned high heel. "You remember what we talked about last night?"

A small frown line wrinkled Vala's forehead. "You mean about increasing the soundproofing for your quarters so you don't have to worry about the crew hearing you scream Jack's name when you…"

Sam made a choked sound and stopped Vala before she could finish, "I never said that!" She hissed and then frowned in concern, "Did I?"

Vala nodded. "I believe it was after the fourth bottle of Champagne, right before you passed out."

Sam shook her head. "Wait a second. I woke up feeling fine. How could I possibly have drunk so much that I would talk about…you know?"

"Don't you remember?" Vala hopped up on the countertop next to the sink. "I promised you when we opened the second bottle that I wouldn't let you leave with a hangover." Sam looked at her quizzically. "At the end of the evening, you obediently downed a couple glasses of water before dropping off and then I just borrowed the hand held healing device and gave you a once over. Good as new. A far better cure than that hairy dog Mitchell brags about."

"Hair of the dog." Sam corrected absently. "I really told you about, you know?" She asked with a crimson face.

"Yes, in vivid detail."

Sam whimpered.

"You went on and on about the ratio of thickness needed in the steel alloy doors and the merits of substituting a synthetic compound for the aluminum shielding and blah, blah, blah."

Sam dropped her head in relief. "I went on and on about how to sound proof the room, not about…"

"What rocks your world?" Vala snorted. "You very properly thanked me for that bunny contraption I gave you for your birthday and then spent fifteen minutes explaining the chemical compound of every applicable alloy. If that's not what you were referring to from last night's conversations, what did you mean?"

"I meant the conversation we had earlier in the evening about the chances of a call coming from D.C.,"

"Ooohhh, you mean you got the call?" Vala leaned forward in excitement, noting another blush gracing Sam's cheeks.

She nodded and set down the first shoe and went to work on its twin. "I'll beam back to the ship later this afternoon and then directly to D.C. I'd thought after last time it just wouldn't work out, but I think we've found a way."

Vala hopped down, gave Sam a quick hug, and then pulled back. "You are off the hook and officially forgiven. As the saying goes, all's fair in love."

"And war." Sam automatically finished the quote.

"Pfftt." Vala tossed her head and then tuned to examine her reflection in the mirror. "Like war is ever any kinds of fair."

Sam smiled and finished drying off Vala's shoe. "I am kind of sorry I won't be here the rest of the week." She smiled again, this time with a twinkle in her eye. "I have a feeling you are really going to enjoy yourself."

Vala's face fell for a moment and then she pasted a on a bright smile. "Right, you might have abandoned me and Daniel might miss our anniversary- since he can't stand the idea of being stuck here with me, but I still have the boys to torture."

Sam frowned. "I'm sure that's not what Daniel said."

"Oh he blathered on about the cabin being too crowded, but that was just an excuse. I thought that…never mind, it doesn't matter." Vala picked up the first shoe Sam cleaned. "My dearest Samantha, this looks good as new. How fortunate that I bought the faux snakeskin."

Sam continued to look worried and as she handed Vala the other shoe, she opened her mouth as if to speak, hesitated and then reached for Vala's hand. Vala looked up and Sam gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I really think you are going to be fine." Before Vala could say anything in return, a knock came on the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: A Little Light Coercion. **

**(Originally posted on LJ for the Daniel/Vala 5th Anniversary Contest - Took 2nd place!)**

**By: Bkwurm1 **

**Pairings: Daniel/Vala, some Cam/Lam, mention of Sam/Jack and Teal'c/Ishta **

**Rating: PG-13 to be safe **

**Summary:** _**Vala plans a much belated celebratory spring break/anniversary at the cabin with the team, only to find her friends conniving behind her back with matchmaking on the mind. Toss in too much mud, a shared shower, and a rather pleasant misunderstanding and Vala won't ever forget the fifth anniversary of the day she and Daniel first met. **_

**Part 2**

"Samantha Carter, I have been instructed to inquire as to where you have put the Budweiser."

Sam rolled her eyes and called back through the bathroom door. "Tell Mitchell to hold his horses." She turned to Vala. "We better get back out there. I still need to call the Hammond and have them send that container for lunch."

Vala quietly followed her out of the bathroom and left Sam alone to contact the Hammond while she went back to pull a light jacket out of her bags. Until the cabin's fireplace got going, the air was going to be a mite chilly.

On Vala's way down the hall, she past the two rooms where Teal'c and Mitchell would be staying. Each room had a pair of bunk beds. Surprisingly, neither of rooms had beds made up, but in the back bedroom where she was staying, a lovely quilt lay over the bed. She pulled a corner up, expecting a bare mattress, but instead found a full contingent of sheets, pillows and blankets. Their fresh scent ruled out left over linens from the cabin's last use. She located her jacket and on a hunch checked the linen closet. She found several queen sized sets, but no sheets or blankets sized for the smaller bunks.

A little concerned, she checked the other closets and then the dressers and trunks in the respective rooms. Her search turned up a few more pillows and a set of sleeping bags, but none of the other promised sheets and blankets. They could cope, but she was surprised Jack's instructions had been so poorly followed. She decided not to mention the bedding issue. No need to give anyone else an excuse to change their minds about this week.

Of course, the lack of linens wasn't the biggest issue. Vala noticed the boy's bags had not yet arrived. At least she could remind Sam about sending them down before she departed. By the time she rejoined the group, Sam had contacted her ship and Mitchell was in the middle of celebrating the arrival of his brews. Teal'c set up a buffet of ribs, chicken, and all the sides. As the savory scent of barbeque filled the air, the entire group discovered they were famished. Lunch was a jolly affair, likely loosened up by the free flow of alcohol. Vala found herself laughing along with the rest even while part of her mind was trying to work out why Sam seemed so certain the remainder of her trip would go well.

Eventually Vala shrugged the puzzle off, deciding it was Sam's natural optimism and really, her vacation couldn't go too badly. A world class movie marathon was certainly on the agenda. She could get Teal'c on board with two words: Star Wars. And Mitchell had finally run out of ways to avoid another poker tournament. Last time they played, she'd taken a week's salary. This time she would set a month's worth as her goal.

Her fun wouldn't have to be limited to the cabin either. They might be staying in the middle of nowhere, but they could take the car Jack was sending and go into whatever passed for a town at some point. There must be a bar somewhere nearby; there was always a bar. She'd take the boys and get them to propose a toast to her fifth anniversary. She sighed. Daniel really needed to be there. Having an anniversary all by yourself wasn't terribly exiting. Maybe they could instead drive for a few hours and find a city that resembled true civilization. That might work.

Vala put her disappointment over Daniel's absence and Sam's imminent departure out of her mind. She could get through one afternoon without letting a certain blue-eyed archeologist spoil her fun. She made her mind up and worked harder to enjoy herself.

The hours went quickly. After the crowd plowed through an inordinate amount of food, Vala assisted Carolyn in placing the leftovers in the fridge. She opened the door and it was all she could do not to groan.

Whoever brought in clean linens applied the same stingy attitude in stocking the refrigerator. After checking the freezer and the cupboards, Vala decided the provisions wouldn't last more than half their stay. She shook her head but said nothing. They would just have to restock sometime this week.

She sighed. This vacation was really not going as planned. She pushed her disappointment aside and once more concentrated on enjoying the boisterous bunch. Halfway through the afternoon, Landry cut Mitchell off from his beer, but Cam rode his buzz well and shared his freakish recall of the original SG1's exploits to humorous effect, with Teal'c and Sam stepping in to defend themselves or to cast the blame on the absent Jack and Daniel.

Unfortunately, all the stories about Daniel only made it that much harder for her to pretend she didn't already miss him and now that they were about ten minutes away from their visitor's beaming away, she was really getting depressed. Cam had even completely sobered up, so that was no fun. She was doing her best to hide her growing grimness when she heard Carolyn ask an odd question.

"Cameron, do I need to stop and pick up flowers for your mother?"

Vala stalked in from the kitchen. "His mother? Mitchell, what is she talking about?" She demanded.

Dr. Lam narrowed her eyes at Cam. "You didn't tell her yet?"

Cam cringed. "I'm going to tell her."

Vala swung her head back his direction. "What haven't told me yet?"

Carolyn groaned. "Cam, you really should have already told her."

"It _was_ in the briefing." He insisted.

Dr. Lam crossed her arms. "You knew no one expected her to read that."

Vala frowned, not liking how they were talking around her. "And I already told you I didn't read it."

"How could you not tell her?"

"I know what I'm doing."

They were still ignoring her. She stamped her foot. "Just what the hell are you doing?"

"Now don't get your knickers in a twist, Princess."

Vala planted her hands on her hips and scowled. "Cameron Franklin Mitchell, if you don't tell me in the next ten seconds whatever it is that you should have told me, I don't know what I will do to you, but you can be damn sure after I'm done, you will never dare set foot in a nudist colony!"

He laughed uncomfortably, gulped and then blurted out the truth. "I'm going back to the Hammond and then Sam's setting Carolyn and me down at an airbase in Texas about fifty miles away from where my parents live. I haven't had the chance to go home for more than a weekend since my high school reunion and if you promise not to do whatever you are thinking of doing, I'll FedEx one of my mom's pies the moment I get there." Vala frown deepened and she took a step toward him. Mitchell held out his hands to ward her off. "Two pies! I'll send two pies."

"Dr. Lam is accompanying you." She should have guessed something was up when Carolyn hadn't agreed to stay at the cabin too. Cam and Carolyn had been casually going out for a while. This was big news if he was taking her home to his parents and General Landry knew all about it. But how could he do this to her lovely plans?

_All's fair in love. _The phrase floated through her mind again. She glanced over at Teal'c where he stood silently and a suspicion formed. Sourly, she turned to him, "And I suppose you were going to pop over and visit Ishta this week instead of staying at the cabin?"

The Jaffa did not speak, but conceded her guess with a small nod of his head.

"Oh Muscles!" Vala wailed. "I give up." She threw her hands up in the air. "Just take me back to the base."

General Landry raised his hands. "Now, now there is no reason for you not to keep your plans."

"Excuse me General, but you seem to have forgotten the part where everyone is leaving and I would be completely on my own."

"I remember. I also remember you bugging me every day for more freedom to go on and off base on your own. If it hadn't been for The Trust, I would have granted that privilege a long time ago. After the last round up, I'm satisfied they are no longer a threat, so as of now, you have my permission to come and go as your schedule permits."

"And you decided to dump me off in the middle of the continent, in the woods, miles from any real civilization as a trial run?"

Landry mulled over her accusation, bobbing his head side to side, "Pretty much, yes. Just stay a few days, unwind. You could use the R&R."

"But General, I'll go wonko!"

"Look, that driver Jack is sending with a car should be here just after dark. I'm ordering you to stay here at least that long. If you can't calm down and relax, take the vehicle to the airport and fly home, but I really think if you gave the quiet a chance, you'll find it can change your life."

Vala opened her mouth to protest again, but nothing came out. What was the point? Everyone was leaving. Why would they want to spend their precious vacation trapped in a five room box surrounded by dismal rain and a bleak landscape? She should have known this entire anniversary trip was going to be a bust the moment Daniel refused to come. Logically, his outright refusal should upset her less than the way the rest of her friends all humored her by saying yes and then wriggled out of the commitment, but it wasn't that simple.

She stood in a daze as group got ready to depart. Sam gave her a hug and promised it would be all right and Teal'c tossed in an "Indeed", but Vala was too wrapped up in her misery for either comment to make an impression. Mitchell seemed amused by the whole situation until Carolyn scowled at him and raked him over the coals again for not telling her sooner. Landry just shook his head, reissued his order to Vala to wait for the driver and then there was a flash of white light and she was alone.

Her first instinct was to run down the hall and throw herself on the bed, but instead she stood there frozen in place. The burning logs in the fireplace popped and crackled. In the kitchen, the refrigerator quietly hummed. Outside, the rain continued to pummel the ground and rap against the cabin roof. Slowly she lowered herself to a chair near the front window and stared out into the grey mist.

Everyone left and she hadn't protested, not by her standards. She could have. She could have created a huge storm or even leapt into the energy stream returning everyone to the Hammond, but the bare truth was her heart wasn't in it and these days, before she'd create such havoc, she needed her heart to be in it.

She'd counted on this trip with the team to distract her from wondering if she could have completely misread her relationship with Daniel, but now she faced a new set of swirling thoughts and not a single distraction. What kind of message should a girl take when every one she counted as her closest friend backed out of spending time with her? And on a special occasion as well! At one time, she would have questioned their affection, but she knew better, which left only one possibility. They were up to something. She greatly feared it was a Daniel shaped something.

How utterly humiliating for it to take two Generals, a pair of Colonels, the boss's daughter and the most famous Jaffa in the universe to force a recalcitrant archeologist to spend a few days alone with her. She needed him to want to be with her, not forced into doing it. If anyone was going to manipulate Daniel, she decided, it should be her.

Vala's earlier worries and new concerns battled in her mind as she alternately sat and paced while waiting impatiently for the mystery driver to arrive with the car.

Time passed and the late afternoon light faded into the evening. With the constant rain, the world slid from dim to dark in tiny imperceptible increments. She turned on a few lamps, but they hardly penetrated the gloom. The cabin was on its own private road, isolated away from the glow of town, so when a pair of light pierced through the inky darkness, Vala instantly knew they belonged to Jack's driver.

So, Vala silently mused, she had fulfilled Landry's orders; she had waited. What did she do now? Grab the keys and go? But where? Was she planning to come back, not just to the cabin, but to the same life she left at Cheyenne Mountain? Was this anniversary the first celebration of its kind… as well as the last? She told herself she hadn't made up her mind.

The headlights were getting closer. One more bend in the road and her wait would be over. Vala glanced at the embers burning low in the fireplace. In the last half-hour, the room started getting cold. Now was the perfect time to either add another log and stoke the fire or douse the banked coals with water and walk away with nothing to hold her back. Perhaps too much time had already passed anyway. Maybe there wasn't enough heat left to make anything happen.

Vala stood, dealt with the fire, and went to the door to watch as the black SUV pulled up, stopping about twenty feet in front of the cabin. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the bright headlights. The strong light made it impossible to see the driver though surely the driver would have seen her illuminated in the doorway. A second later, the headlights switched off. Another moment passed and the engine went quiet.

As Vala opened the front door, the cold damp air swirled around and sunk through the few layers of clothing she wore. She stepped out onto the porch, giving her vision time to adjust to the low light. The few lights on in the cabin kept the night from being completely overpowering. She could still hear raindrops hitting the ground but the rainfall had lightened in intensity. She intently watched the shadow of the driver in the car, but it wasn't until he opened the door and triggered the overhead dome light that she knew her guess was correct.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: A Little Light Coercion. **

**(Originally posted on LJ for the Daniel/Vala 5th Anniversary Contest - Took 2nd place!)**

**By: Bkwurm1 **

**Pairings: Daniel/Vala, some Cam/Lam, mention of Sam/Jack and Teal'c/Ishta **

**Rating: PG-13 to be safe **

**Summary:** _**Vala plans a much belated celebratory spring break/anniversary at the cabin with the team, only to find her friends conniving behind her back with matchmaking on the mind. Toss in too much mud, a shared shower, and a rather pleasant misunderstanding and Vala won't ever forget the fifth anniversary of the day she and Daniel first met. **_

**Part 3**

It was Daniel. In spite of her decimated pride, her heart leapt at seeing him. She waited until he shut the SUV's door and started her direction before she stepped off the porch.

When she was about ten feet away and closing, Daniel paused and softly said "Hey," with a burgeoning smile on his face. "Vala, I…," she closed the distance before he could say anything else and with one kick, swept his legs out from under him. Daniel went down hard in the muddy drive, getting the breath knocked out of him.

Vale leaned over and sweetly said, "Happy anniversary, darling."

He didn't answer, but the wheezing sound he was making was a balm to her ego. She stepped over his prone form, went to the truck, opened the door and checked the ignition and the visor, but didn't find what she was looking for. She shut the door and went back to where Daniel lay sprawled on his back, still stunned. She bent over him to check the pockets of his leather jacket.

"A real gentleman would have left the keys in the vehicle," she grumbled. As she checked his inside pockets, Daniel grabbed her by the upper arm and yanked her off balance. She landed half on him and half on the drive way and despite the layer of mud, there was no real give to the bruising ground. She felt the slightest twinge of guilt for knocking Daniel on his six, but not guilty enough to give up the fight.

Vala twisted, trying to get away and scramble to her feet, but Daniel flipped himself over on top and used his weight to hold her in place. He leaned forward and pinned her hands on either side of her head.

"Planning on going somewhere?" He asked, sounding as testy as she felt.

"I'll have you know that General Landry has cleared me for off base activity. I am perfectly free to roam the country on my own, which is fortunate since because of you, I currently am _completely_ on my own." She tried to buck him off, but he didn't budge. There were moves she could have used to free herself, but she wasn't intent on inflicting permanent damage.

"Because of me?" Behind his dirt-spattered spectacles, Daniel looked incredulous. "I'm the one that just drove six hours from the airport so you wouldn't be alone."

"Ha! You could have beamed in just like everybody else, but no, you had better things to do than 'waste your time crammed into a cabin' with me." Vala thrashed about some more; her aim was two fold, her results were mixed. Freeing herself would be nice, but captivity had its advantages and a dash more squirming convinced Vala that Daniel too was aware of its merits. Still, as for as much pleasure as she took from the hard thing jutting into her thigh, the sharp stones beneath her were most uncomfortable.

The crushed rocks weren't the only problem. The wet ground had already seeped through the seat of her jeans and was making progress with the rest of her body. Every thrash of her head mashed more of the rock and mud mixture into her hair and some of the icy mess had oozed under her collar and down her neck. She spared a moment of regret over not changing out of her snakeskin heels. Mud baths were fabulous for the skin, but played havoc on even faux-skin shoes.

"I'm here now. That should count."

She narrowed her eyes. "Just why are you here? Last time I checked you didn't have any trouble saying no to the idea. Did Landry promise to bump up your research funding? Did Jack have Sam offer you a ride to the Pegasus galaxy to spy on the dark side of the Asgard? Hmm? Maybe Teal'c has compromising pictures of you and Col Mitchell." She started to struggle again. "If you went frolicking at his nudist colony without me I may never forgive you."

"What? Never mind, I don't want to know. Vala, I am here because I want to be here."

Even as her heart skipped a beat, she rolled her eyes. "And here Teal'c says you have no sense of humor."

"Vala," he said her name like it was a warning.

"Oh, no, it's my mistake. I see it very clearly now, you wanted to be here to celebrate the anniversary of our meeting on the Prometheus so badly that you just had to sneak off base without even saying goodbye." To her horror, her voice broke.

She had no intention of letting him know how much it had hurt to wake on Thursday morning and find him already gone. Not coming to the cabin was one thing, but to sneak away as if she hadn't earned something as simple as a personal goodbye made her wonder if her time at the SGC and the changes she made in her life were merely part of an elaborate con she'd pulled on herself. Had nothing changed? She swallowed hard, grateful the rain and the darkness made it impossible to spot the tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. Easier to spot was her trembling lower lip.

Daniel's eagle eyes caught it right away. His face softened and he let go of her trapped hands. The night sky chose that moment to open up and release a torrent of near freezing liquid. He shifted some of his weight and hunched forward, trying to shield her face from the sheets of rain. He gently brushed a clump of wet hair off her forehead and apologized. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Vala stiffened. The last thing she wanted was his pity. "I'm fine. Just cold is all." She partially told the truth. The ground was leeching warmth from below at an alarming rate and when Daniel moved, it put space between their bodies and the loss of body heat left her chilled.

Daniel, being Daniel, looked like he wanted to argue but instead moved to the side to let her up. The icy rain drenched her to the skin in seconds. Daniel's leather coat and insolated boots offered more protection, but the cold and wet had to be getting to him as well. He rose to his feet and offered her a hand. "Let's go inside. I'm fast approaching freezing," he said, echoing her thoughts.

She ignored his hand, but didn't argue. Her chilled status had already shifted to painfully cold. Her teeth were chattering and her fingers felt stiff and achy. She turned toward the cabin, but her impractical foot ware left her wobbly. She stumbled on her first step; Daniel was there to steady her with an arm around her waist.

"Thanks," Vala told him and simply stepped out of her shoes, leaving behind her treacherous heels. The short walk to the cabin transitioned her from painfully cold to frozen numb. Her entire body trembled violently.

Once they were under the protection of the porch, she paused to shed her filthy cotton jacket. Daniel followed her example and dumped his sodden coat on one of the rocking chairs. She pointed to his muddy laced up work boots. "Sh- sh-shoes t-t-too," and sank into an open rocking chairs to wipe her muddy feet on her already dirty jacket. Finished, she waited for Daniel, wrapping her arms around her middle and trying to get warm. The action didn't help. She was too cold now. While Daniel worked on loosening his laces, she closed her eyes. Suddenly she felt overwhelmingly sleepy.

"Vala? Vala!" She heard Daniel's beautiful voice as from a distance. Perhaps she was dreaming. She smiled a little. She hoped it was a good dream; she'd had a few scorchers, but this one was odd. He was holding her shoulders and kind of shaking her – that wasn't so odd, but he didn't sound frustrated or angry so much as…as scared? It was hard to think.

"Get up, come on. I'll get you warm," he promised. Silly man. Warm was such an inadequate word to describe how he made her feel. The world shifted and she was pitching forward for a second. Her eyes fluttered open. Daniel's dear face filled her vision.

"There you are." He urged her to her feet. "Lean on me. We need to get your body temperature up. She clutched at his side as he opened the cabin door and made a beeline to the bathroom. He flipped on the light and its harshness made her close her eyes again.

"Vala, stay with me."

"Too bright – hurts," she mumbled. He lowered her to sit on the closed toilet seat and reached around the shower curtain to turn on the water. Just being inside where the air temperature was warmer made her feel more alert. Her eyes were adjusting to the light and so she tentatively opened them. Daniel was starring at her with a scowl on his face.

"What? What did I do now?"

"Your lips are blue," he accused.

She tried to twist around and look in the bathroom mirror.

"No, just sit there until the water temperature is right."

"Well then, you will have to tell me if blue is a good color on me."

"Vala, this isn't funny. You have a least a mild case of hypothermia."

She sighed. "So no, not a good look. Pity. I was thinking about buying this shimmery lavender-blue lipstick, it was quite unlike anything I've seen, but if it's not flattering…," she shrugged her shoulders.

Daniel looked pained. "I can't tell if you're babbling from the cold or just babbling Vala style."

Taking some offence, she frowned, grasped the counter, and against his earlier orders, pulled herself upright. "I'm fine now." She only swayed a little, but it was enough to make Daniel grab her waist and growl.

"The hell you are."

Her Daniel could look so fierce. His concern spread a curling warmth inside. Still, his high-handed tone demanded a reaction and so she tossed her hair at his imperious manner or at least tried; it was too matted and full of mud to do much tossing. She settled for a sniff as she told him, "Well, I will be. I can manage to shower on my own, thank you very much."

Alarm knitted his brows. "Now I know you're not thinking clearly. Lean on the counter for a second." He pulled back the shower curtain, stepped over the lip of the tub still wearing all his muddy clothing and then insistently helped Vala in as well.

She hissed as the water hit her skin. "It's too hot."

Daniel positioned her directly under the shower spray. "No, it's barely body temperature," he assured her and then added softly, "You're just that cold." Keeping an arm anchored around her waist, he began working the mud out of her hair. She heard a pinging sound.

"What was that?"

"A rock."

Vala heard another pinging sound, but refused to comment on something as ghastly as stones falling from her raven tresses. In spite of the embarrassment of gravel raining from her head, she found his ministrations rather soothing and she began to lean into his shoulder, but a handy memory had her pulling back. "I seem to remember Carolyn saying direct skin contact was the most effective method for treating a lowered body temperature."

"You would remember that," he complained, but complied with her suggestion. Vala helped him peel his long sleeved pullover and the white t-shirt beneath it, all the way off. Daniel tossed the wet clothing at the far end of the tub.

"Mine too," she said and held up her arms.

He looked skeptical. "You have something on underneath, right?"

"Darling," she trilled and batted her eyes, "I believe the instructions were skin on skin."

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If I thought you were that far gone, I wouldn't have risked warming you up so quickly with the shower. I'll ask again, are you wearing something under that shirt?"

Vala stuck out a lip, but relented. "Yes, I have something on." He helped her off with her top and then undid the metal button on her dark jeans without any prompting on her part. She stayed silent as he carefully slid them down her legs and tossed them in the corner as well. Her palms itched to run over his smooth chest, but she wasn't done with him yet. She glanced up at his face. He was still wearing his glasses. Water droplets replaced the earlier spots of dirt. "You really should take off your glasses."

"They're fine."

"You can't see." Vala took a small step back and waved her hand downward.

Daniel glanced down almost involuntarily, surely taking in how her light green chemise clung to her curves and the high cut of the matching panties showed off the length of her creamy legs before his eyes darted away. He cleared his throat. "I can see plenty."

She hid her smile. "Alright, if you insist," she told him and then started to undo his belt buckle. He placed a hand over hers.

"What are you doing?"

"Daniel, you can't keep those dirty, wet jeans on much longer or you will be the one with the hypothermia. They are coming off." She informed him firmly. He really should have taken off his glasses. Something was coming off.

"Fine, but I've got the belt." She let him undo his buckle and his button fly before putting her thumbs in his waistband and pulling them down. She hadn't revealed more than an inch of pale flesh near his hip when he grabbed her wrists.

"Just the jeans, Vala."

She coyly arched her eyebrow. "My mistake."

He finished peeling off his blue jeans and kicked them towards the heap of clothing in the corner. Vala only got a quick peek at his navy boxer briefs and muscled legs before Daniel pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

His chest was a blaze of heat making the shower of water on her back feel cool in comparison. She groaned and sunk into his warmth, pressing her face into the side of his neck. The thrill of undressing Daniel had distracted her from feeling how deeply the cold had penetrated. Until his body pressed against her hers, she hadn't realized she'd been shivering the whole time. How very unsexy. No wonder Daniel protested so little.

Daniel stroked her back and asked, "Better?"

When Vala nodded, her cold nose rubbed in the little hollow above his collarbone. Mumbling against his skin, she mentioned that the water was getting cold.

"I'll turn up the heat." He reached behind her and adjusted the shower knobs. Fresh warmth poured out, but she preferred the Daniel generated kind and continued to burrow against him. They stood silently like that for several minutes, just leaning into one another. As each moment passed, Vala relaxed more; conversely the tension vibrating in Daniel increased.

After a little while, maybe as long as ten minutes - Vala found it difficult to tell time during moments of bliss - Daniel popped open a bottle, squeezed out a measure of shampoo, and began working the lather into her hair. Was he, Vala wondered, trying to distract himself from the growing concern pressed between them? She'd long ago learned he was far from physically indifferent around her, but Vala found it hard to make plans about what to do with the hardness against her stomach when his fingers were sliding in circular motions so deliciously against her scalp. His touch felt marvelous. Her mind was going to mush.

"Tilt your head back." She let him angle her hair under the showerhead, rinsing away the lather. He tucked her head back against his chest and washed her hair a second time. "Just a suggestion, you might want to buy something other than baby shampoo next time. It's just not strong enough to get the job done on adults. I'll probably have to wash your hair a third time to get it clean." He tilted her head back again, his hand smoothing her tangled hair under the flow of water.

"I don't mind," she told him on a sigh. His hand paused and she opened her eyes. Daniel was looking at her, but because of his glasses, she couldn't read his expression.

"Put your head back down, relax." He told her quietly. She followed his instruction without difficulty. He used both hands this time to work the lather through her hair. His hands skimmed over her scalp and then more firmly worked the muscles at the back of her neck. She turned her head to the side so he could better access a sensitive spot. His thumb found it and she made a little whimpering sound of pleasure.

Vala had been resting with her palms pressed together just above the ridges of Daniel's abdomen. She now slid them in opposite directions and then down his sides to where his waist narrowed. She felt him flinch as her fingertips grazed his slick skin. He took both of her hands and raised them higher on his back. She smiled against his chest and made a mental note of his ticklish spot.

His seeking hands returned and gave the side of her neck more attention. Her muscles liquefied and she sighed dreamily. His hands slid through her hair making her scalp tingle. Daniel worked up a handful of lather; then he smoothed the bubbles over her bare shoulders, down her arms and then back up and around her neck, to the part of her back the stretchy chemise left exposed. Sparks traveled up her spine even as she melted more completely in his arms.

There wasn't any place she'd rather be in the universe.

xxxxx

_**Author's note: Will post the final two parts in a day or so.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: A Little Light Coercion. **

**(Originally posted on LJ for the Daniel/Vala 5th Anniversary Contest - Took 2nd place!)**

**By: Bkwurm1 **

**Pairings: Daniel/Vala, some Cam/Lam, mention of Sam/Jack and Teal'c/Ishta **

**Rating: PG-13 to be safe **

**Summary:** _**Vala plans a much belated celebratory spring break/anniversary at the cabin with the team, only to find her friends conniving behind her back with matchmaking on the mind. Toss in too much mud, a shared shower, and a rather pleasant misunderstanding and Vala won't ever forget the fifth anniversary of the day she and Daniel first met. **_

**Part 4**

There was nowhere else in the universe she'd rather be.

The thought echoed in her mind: nowhere _she'd_ rather be.

A touch of pain eroded her satisfaction. She might be just where she wanted to be, but Daniel was only at the cabin out of coercion and in the shower out of compassion.

_All's fair in love and war._

The phrase drifted through her thoughts. She could feel the growing need vibrating through his body and the gentleness of his touch told her that he cared, but suddenly she was afraid that if she pushed her advantage she would overwhelm his defenses briefly only to hear him cry retreat later. How far back would he pull this time? She couldn't endure the thought of throwing away what she already had on an ill-timed attack.

She wanted Daniel to choose to be with her because he chose it, not because he was forced into an intimate setting beyond his control. A few more sighs, a press of her hips against his, a couple lingering strokes on his back...she could seduce him right now, but would she have him after the moment passed? He hadn't been ready to come to the cabin with her and the team, had ignored the importance of their anniversary, and when she pushed, he ran off without a word. She didn't want to risk him running even further away. Vala pulled out of his arms.

"Vala?" He frowned and tilted his head quizzically.

She ignored him, leaned her head back to rinse away any lingering suds and then smiled brightly. "Well now, I feel much better. I'll just pop out and give you a chance to shower in peace." She scrambled out before he could stop her, grabbed one of the fluffy white towels and wrapped it around her torso. Her legs felt like rubber and her arms leaden weights but she hid that from him.

"Vala, wait." Daniel turned the water off.

Vala flipped her head down and wrapped a second towel around her hair. "What's that? I can't hear you. You stay here and I'll find something Jack left behind for you to change into. Can't have you go out into that freezing rain right now." She slipped out of the steamy bathroom into the cold hallway and scurried down the hall. She was back to shivering by the time she got to the bedroom. She heard the bathroom door open as she shut the bedroom door.

"Vala, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong," she told him through the door.

"I'm coming in."

As the doorknob began to turn, she called out. "Darling, I'm naked, but do feel free to join me."

To her surprise, the door opened. He glanced at her, still wrapped in her towels and then went straight to her luggage. He had a towel too, tucked around his waist, but he hadn't taken time to properly dry off. His hair stood up in wet clumps and he left a trail of drips on the oval rug as he crossed the room. The bedroom wasn't very large. Just a bed, a dresser, and a closet. The bed took up most of the space and her luggage ate up what remained. Ignoring him in the small space was not an easy task.

"This is all very flattering, but I am feeling the slightest lingering chill and do need to get out of these wet clothing." Vala informed him, trying to usher him out. Daniel bent over instead and began unzipping the suitcase sitting at the foot of her bed.

"Which is why I'm trying to find you something to wear."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not going to find anything in that one."

"Just shoes?" He shook his head and moved toward the one half sticking out of the small closet. The limited space required him to press up against her as he squeezed by. He picked it up by the handle and groaned. "What do you have in this, stone tablets?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Pfft, as if between the two of us I'd be the more likely candidate to have rocks in my luggage. Don't bother opening it; it doesn't have clothing either."

He set it back down. "Just for curiosity sake, what did you pack in it?"

"Nothing extraordinary, just entertainment of all sorts: DVD's, a player, a couple gaming systems, board games, cards, a snorkel, rope, handcuffs, just the basics."

A funny look passed over his face. "Sounds like you planned on keeping busy."

"Well yes, I am on vacation. Figuring out how to waste time is the entire point."

Daniel glanced at her and moved toward the bag she had sitting close to the door. Reaching it required him to again press close to her as he moved past. He clutched her hips to steady the process and Vala resolutely refused to look him in the eye as his warm body molded briefly to hers. She had to get him out of there before her resolution broke.

"If you don't mind, I think you can risk letting me manage on my own."

Daniel shook his head and pulled out the next bag, "No, not acting like this I can't."

"Acting like what?" She huffed. Didn't he know how much self-control she was exerting in order not to pounce on his warm, fragrant, half-naked self? She crossed her arms resolutely. "Apart from knocking you on your six, I've been perfectly well behaved. Mostly," she amended truthfully, thinking of a thing or two in the shower.

"Which is why I'm worried." He glanced around the cramped area for a place to set the suitcase.

Vala watched him with a frown. He was worried because she was holding back? No, she must have lost the thread of their conversation, probably a moment ago when she became transfixed by the sight of his towel slipping low on his hip. Had he stripped off his boxer briefs before coming after her? She swallowed hard and forced her eyes up. Daniel settled her suitcase on the bed. He unzipped it, laid it open and froze with a satisfyingly dazed expression.

She sidled closer. "You've managed to locate my, what does Sam sometimes call them? Ah yes, my delicates." Daniel unfroze. He was frowning and shifting the silky things around. He lifted a tiny scrap of stretchy white lace that when worn, expanded to a see through body suit.

"Yes a lovely choice, but not likely to keep me very warm, though the sales clerk at Victoria's Secret did promise it would generate a bonfire." He dropped that and pulled out short silky blue nightie she'd purchased because it matched Daniel's eyes, dropped that and picked up a wine colored corset like thing, and then finally a shiny forest green v-neck camisole. His frown deepened into a scowl.

"Why the hell did you bring half of your lingerie on a team vacation?"

Why, because she'd finished packing that bag before she realized Daniel wouldn't be coming along for her to dazzle, not that she'd give him the satisfaction. "Half? It's nowhere near half of my collection." She slid the case away from his marauding hands and pulled out a pale pink stretchy cami and matching panties similar to what she currently wore under the towel. She thought of them as part of her spring anniversary collection. "I like pretty things Daniel. Maybe you imagined Sam and I were planning on parading around in them all week and driving Mitchell mad?" He scowled again, but was distracted when he spied a pair of white cotton socks.

"Socks!"

"Very good, and what do you call this?" She dangled a frilly floral push up bra. He snatched it out of her hands, tossed it back with the rest of her under things, scooped up his prize socks and zipped up the case.

"These socks are the first sensible thing you packed." He turned and spied the last remaining suitcase wedged along the edge of the other side of the bed. Vala tensed and waited for Daniel to push past her. He slightly modified the pattern this time. Instead of squeezing by, he put his arms around her, pulling her close and prompting her to rest her hands on his smooth, exposed chest. Then, almost as if they were dancing, he took small steps and turned her around so he was now closer to the last remaining suitcase. He dropped his arms and hauled the case up on the bed to examine its contents. Vala felt a surge of irritation. If she didn't know better, she'd swear he was trying to stir _her_ up. But she did know better.

"I might as well have flown coach instead gone Asgard Beam: airport security couldn't have searched my luggage anymore thoroughly than you," she grumbled. "Is a strip search up next?" She asked too sweetly. "Maybe in honor of our anniversary?" He ignored her and sifted through the clothing he found in the final case. She folded her arms and muttered, "Fine, I'll take a rain gauge on it."

"Rain check," he absently corrected.

"Oh, excuse me, my mistake; rain check. Last time I checked we had plenty of rain," she grumbled before rescuing a folded garment bag the size of half her suitcase that Daniel had been roughly pushing aside.

Vala took it and hung it up in the closet. Hopefully, her dresses weren't too crushed. Daniel set aside a number of pairs of jeans and Vala transferred them to a dresser drawer, along with a stack of sleeveless blouses and t-shirts and finally, several pairs of shorts and four bikini's.

"That's it? Didn't you pack any warm clothing?"

"Yes I did. I brought a jacket."

"Where is it?"

"You saw it; covered in mud, soaking wet, out on the porch – not a very good option, I don't know why you suggested it."

"Vala, how could you come to Minnesota in March and not pack any warm clothing?" He pointed at the still partially open drawer. "Bikinis and shorts?" He asked incredulously.

She put her hands on her hips. "Don't take that tone with me. This place has ten thousand lakes. Ten thousand! Naturally, I assumed there would be some beach activity. How is it reasonable to expect me to keep track of this world's regional temperature disparities when ninety-nine percent of the time I'm trapped miles beneath a mountain of rock in a climate controlled facility?"

He dropped his head and sighed. "Vala, I only meant," she interrupted his explanation. She'd been pushed too far.

"No, I know what you meant. Perhaps if anyone had bothered sharing their wisdom, I wouldn't have this problem. Perhaps if you hadn't run kicking and screaming at the mere suggestion of coming along, you could have given me a few pointers. Perhaps if the rest of my friends hadn't felt it necessary to scheme and connive in order to force you to be here, they might have actually packed for this melting tundra instead of Texas and DC. Which, I was informed this afternoon, are currently considerably warmer than Minnesota and so perhaps then I would have noticed the gaping hole in my accessorizing!"

He ran a hand back through his wet hair. "I'm not trying to lecture you."

"But you are doing a fabulous job of it." She crossed her arms. "Now look, I'm cold and I'm changing out of these wet things whether or not you are standing there."


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: A Little Light Coercion. **

**(Originally posted on LJ for the Daniel/Vala 5th Anniversary Contest - Took 2nd place!)**

**By: Bkwurm1 **

**Pairings: Daniel/Vala, some Cam/Lam, mention of Sam/Jack and Teal'c/Ishta **

**Rating: PG-13 to be safe **

**Summary:** _**Vala plans a much belated celebratory spring break/anniversary at the cabin with the team, only to find her friends conniving behind her back with matchmaking on the mind. Toss in too much mud, a shared shower, and a rather pleasant misunderstanding and Vala won't ever forget the fifth anniversary of the day she and Daniel first met. **_

**Part 5**

Vala was through being considerate. Daniel was the one who insisted on barging into her bedroom. What happened next was on his head. She dropped the towel she had wrapped around her body, reached for the hem of her green camisole and pulled it up over her head. By the time her vision was unobstructed, she was alone in the bedroom. Apparently, her instincts had been correct. One wrong move and he was ready to retreat.

Vala sighed, but quickly finished changing into the dry set of under things. She stared at her luggage. Daniel was right. She didn't have anything suitable to keep her warm this week. She could slip on a pair of jeans, but right now all she wanted to do was curl up by the fire, so she instead pulled the quilt off the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. She peeked in the bunkrooms as she passed by. Daniel was in neither, nor was he in the bathroom. Just where had she sent him running?

She heard a car door shut and something tightened in her chest. He was leaving? She yanked open the front door calling his name. "Daniel!" She raced out into the heavy night before her eyes could adjust to the dark…which is why she almost ran into him on the porch. "Oh. There you are."

Some of her panic must have lingered on her face. He dropped the bags he was carrying and clutched her arms. "Is everything alright?"

She plastered on an unconcerned smile. "Of course, I…I just wanted to make certain you didn't stay out here too long and catch a chill." She glanced down and gestured to his lack of attire. He'd shoved on unlaced boots and still wore his towel slung low on his hips. Her bravado didn't fool him. He lifted his hand and brushed the back of it along her cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere." She closed her eyes, feeling a level of tension drain that she didn't want to justify, and leaned into his touch.

"Good," she sighed and then stiffened. What was she thinking? "Oh, good," she repeated more briskly. "I mean, naturally it's late and you had long drive and..."

"Vala it's only seven o'clock."

"Oh, well, it feels later, so dark and all."

"Maybe we should go inside?"

Sometimes a quiet retreat was the only answer. "I'll get the door."

She escaped inside. Despite the quilt around her shoulders, she was feeling the cold so she gravitated toward the hearth and the blazing fire licking its grates. The logs she'd decided to add when Daniel's arrived would keep the cabin toasty for the rest of the evening. She pulled an ottoman up close, closed her eyes and basked in the warmth. It was still second rate compared to the heat she'd found in Daniel's arms.

He set his bags down, unzipped one, and reached in to pull out a pair of sweats. He handed them to Vala. "Here, put these on," he instructed and then retrieved his bags and disappeared down the hall.

Vala thought about pulling on the softly lined blue sweatshirt, but it would reach midway down her thighs. Better to save it to sleep in. The powder pink camisole was no more revealing than many tank tops and she had the quilt to cozy up in so her arms didn't get cold. She did slip on the accompanying bottoms. She swam in them as well, but they had a drawstring she adjusted to keep them from falling off and her legs were chilled enough for her not to balk at the unflattering lumpiness they added to her hips. Dressed, she rewrapped the quilt and sat back down next to the fire.

Daniel joined her in the living room a few minutes later, dressed in a sweat suit set similar to the one he'd handed her, and clutching in his hand her forgotten pair of white socks. He pulled a footstool up to her chair and reached for her foot. Without a word, he smoothed on the first stocking.

"Thank you." Vala said politely.

He took her other foot and encased it with the remaining cotton twin, still not saying anything.

"Daniel." He paused from rising and sat back down, waiting for her to continue. "Why are you here?"

She was tired and weary of trying to read the mixed messages she was getting. "I don't mean here making sure my toes don't get cold." He opened his mouth, but she held up a hand and interrupted again. "And let's not pretend that your arrival and everyone else's departure is any kind of coincidence."

"No," a wry smile played on Daniel's lips. "I won't pretend otherwise."

She closed her eyes, feeling even more tired. A tiny part of her had still been hoping he'd deny being coerced into coming. "Right. Good. So, again, just to get everything out in the open, why are you here?"

Daniel hesitated and Vala pressed on, staring morosely at the fire, "On Wednesday you were quite articulate about not having any intention of joining the team and me at the cabin. So in order to get you to not only change your mind about coming to the cabin, but also be willing to subject yourself to our friends blatant matchmaking as they scattered to the five winds, I have to assume that whatever they bribed you with must be extraordinarily important to you. Therefore, if you just tell me what it was, I can decide if it is worth playing out this charade or if I should feel free to leave tomorrow.

"Bribe me? Nobody bribed me."

She slanted him a disbelieving look. "Right, so I bring up the idea of a little anniversary get away and you spent weeks nit picking the date of our first mission together, complaining about going mix crazy, categorically refusing to join us at the cabin before slinking off without a goodbye all so you can, what, make a grand entrance?"

"Mix crazy?" He rubbed at his temple. "You mean stir crazy. Look, I admit I reacted badly." He leaned forward and took her hand in his. "When you'd brought up the idea of taking a vacation, an anniversary vacation, I thought you wanted to spend some time with me. When I found out you'd invited the whole team I didn't handle it very well."

Vala shook her head and frowned in confusion. "I don't understand. I did want you to take some time off with me, so of course I invited the whole team, how else would I convince you to come?"

Daniel scrunched up his forehead. "Why would I want the whole team to come along on our first vacation together?"

She went still. Her heart started to race. She carefully moistened her lips and asked, "Are you trying to say that you wanted us to… start dating?"

"Start dating?" He squinted his eyes and looked at her as if she was crazy. "What are you talking about?"

Her hopes plummeted. "No to dating. Got it." She tilted her head, considering, "So, this is just about sex?"

Daniel's cheeks puffed out and turned a lovely shade of pink. "This is not just about sex!"

Vala pulled her hand out of his grasp. "Well, you're the one who doesn't want us to start dating!"

Daniel scrubbed his hands over his face. "Why would I, when we've already been dating for the last six months!"

"What!" She jumped up and stumbled away, leaving the quilt behind. "We have not." She hissed over her shoulder as she made to leave the room.

He rose and came after her, catching her before she reached the hallway. "Then what do you call the concerts, the plays, the dinners, the movie nights." He counted off their outings on his fingers.

She batted at his hand. "What you told me to call them, nothing but a few innocent jaunts between two friends and co-workers!"

"Vala, I only said that one time, years ago when you were kidnapped by the Trust." He approached her again, more slowly and then gently grasped her bare upper arms. "You had to know what we had was something more. This wasn't just one isolated dinner date. We ate together at almost every meal, got dressed up and went out three or four times a month, we have season tickets to the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, hell, we did karaoke two weeks ago."

"Actually, I did karaoke while you just watched," she corrected, letting her hands rest on his chest. He moved closer.

"But I was there." he slid his hands up and down on her arms, "And I was there holding your hand while the ugliest man on the planet crooned the most beautiful rendition I've ever heard of 'Wonderful Tonight'." He touched her chin and tilted her face up so she was staring into his mesmerizing blue eyes. "You can't tell me in that moment you were thinking we were just friends and co-workers."

"I hoped there was more but…" She swallowed and shook her head. "If what you are saying is true and you wanted us to go away together, then why did it take the combined efforts of all our friends to get you here?"

His hand brushed her cheek and then over her hair. Something tender lit his eyes. "You have it backwards. I'm not here because everyone else schemed to force me to come." His other hand rose so he could cradle her head in his hands. "I'm the one that forced everyone else to leave so I could have you to myself."

Her heart leapt. "You want to be here." She said it as a statement, not a question. Her pulse was beating fast and her blood singing through her veins.

"Yes." He nodded solemnly.

"We've been dating…for months." She played with the term in her mind, letting it slid back and forth. They were dating. They went out on dates. Who's dating in SG1? Why Daniel and Vala! Had the times they'd gone out with Cam and Dr. Lam count as double dates? She'd missed out on enjoying their elevated status for too long. She poked Daniel in the chest. "You should have told me."

A smirk played around his lips. "I thought you at least figured it out January 28th when I showed you the season tickets on the anniversary," he paused, "the real anniversary of the first time we met."

"In my defense, the first time we met I was using a completely different kind of calendar and though I knew the tickets came around the right time, I thought it was a coincidence."

"Maybe I should have said something earlier, but this was too important to me, I needed to take it slow."

A smile brightened her face. "Past tense?"

"Past tense." He agreed.

"So you were upset about the team trip because we weren't going to be alone."

"I overreacted."

Vala raised one of her jet-black eyebrows and Daniel added, "A lot. I overreacted a lot and badly. I am truly sorry." He stroked her hair and unleashed on her a sincere, melting expression that had she had any defenses against irresistible archeologists, would have left her defenses in a gooey puddle on the rug.

She slid her arms up and around his neck, linking her hands lightly. "And now you're here, ready to take it to the next level." She felt a heady mix of excitement and certainty.

He nodded. "I'm ready to go wherever this leads."

"Where do you think it will lead?" She cocked her head and shared with him a sly smile.

"To everything." He told her boldly.

"Everything?" He stole her breath and drove any thoughts of teasing away. She clutched at his back, "Daniel are you trying to say that you...," he interrupted her, threading his hands deep into her damp hair and pulling her mouth to his, giving her an answer that left her without any doubts as to how he felt. Heat and that rare commodity, happiness, rushed through her.

A few heart-pounding minutes later, he pulled back. "And what about you?" He leaned forward and stole another quick taste of her lips. "I know you're playing catch up, but I don't think I could have imagined what I've seen in your eyes."

Vala's eyes fluttered open at the slight strain she heard in his tone.

"That was real, right?" Daniel asked with a hint of vulnerability troubling his gaze.

"Oh, my Daniel." She rained kisses over his face. "The way I feel about you has always been real." She smiled and caressed the nape of his neck. "I thought I was the one waiting for you to catch up."

He gave her full answering grin. "No more waiting." He pressed her back against the hallway wall and kissed her again. Like everything Daniel did, he put his whole soul into it. His passion and affection poured out and she drank every bit up, eager to make certain he knew he wasn't alone.

"Worth it," she breathlessly gasped, "worth however _very long _you made me wait." She punctuated 'very' and 'long' with two quick pecks.

He brushed a kiss at her temple and then pulled her into a tight hug, sounding smug. "Aren't you glad I didn't leave the keys in the car?"

She laid he head on his shoulder and scoffed. "Please, if I'd had any intension of leaving I would have just hotwired it."

He pulled back just enough so he could look down at the women in his arms. "You weren't going to leave? Even though you thought I was only here because I was forced to be?"

"Why would I leave?" She lifted her hand and used her fingertips to trace the contour of his mouth. "How better to celebrate our belated anniversary than with a little light coercion?"

She leaned forward and nibbled at his lower lip. "At least it was a place to start. I had the whole week to convince you to stay for the right reasons," she lightly nipped at the corner of his mouth, "because you wanted to."

"It's what I want, definitely what I want." His voice roughened and he slid one hand around her waist, his fingers skimming over the tiny line of smooth skin exposed between the silky pink cami and her bunchy sweat pants. "Next time though, can we celebrate the anniversary without restaging the fight?"

She laughed, a deep throaty sound. "We'll have to think of something else to reenact, though I'd rather not shoot you." She arched her back against the wall and pressed up against his solid heat.

Fire flashed in Daniel's eyes and in a quick move she didn't see coming, he heaved her up over his shoulder. "Daniel!" She squealed and laughed his name.

He slapped her lightly on the rear and headed for the bedroom at the end of the hall. "I'm cashing in your rain check. One strip search, coming up."

**The End**


End file.
